World's Best Islands

No. 7 Big Island, Hawaii

The Big Island of Hawaii is a little bit country and a whole lot of lava rock and roll—especially whenever Kilauea is pouring hot magma into the Pacific at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the eastern shore. (Check with the park service for eruption updates.) Far from urban Honolulu, this mostly rural island has its own cowboy culture, farmers’ markets, tropical rainforests, and black-, green-, and white-sand beaches. It’s this local flavor that resonates with travelers now: this year was the first that the Big Island surged past Maui and Kauai to capture the No. 1 island in the region.